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Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds answers your questions from the @PewterReport Twitter account each week in the Bucs Mailbag. Submit your question to the Bucs Mailbag each week via Twitter using the hashtag #PRMailbag.  Here are the Bucs questions we chose to answer for this week’s edition.

QUESTION: Knowing the Bucs’ operations, do you think any contract extensions occur before free agency?

Bucs assistant GM Mike Greenberg – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: There is a chance that happens. The Bucs can gain around $8 million in 2024 cap space if contracts for free agent wide receiver Mike Evans and quarterback Baker Mayfield get done by February 19, which is when their previous deals actually expire. If Tampa Bay re-signs both prior to then, the team can avoid $8 million of dead money from their previous contracts spilling over into the 2024 cap and assistant general manager Mike Greenberg can push that into future years.

But it’s not that big of a deal in reality because there are a number of players Greenberg can go to and convert some of their 2024 base salary into a bonus to create more cap space. Defensive tackle Vita Vea is scheduled to make $15.5 million in base salary, wide receiver Chris Godwin has a $18.5 million base salary in 2024, and cornerback Jamel Dean is due to make $12 million in base salary, for example.

It’s important for Greenberg, general manager Jason Licht and the Bucs to get the right deal for Evans, Mayfield and the franchise rather than a hurried deal. Obviously there is a risk of losing either Mayfield or Evans – or both – in free agency if a deal is not done prior to March 11, which is when the legal tampering period begins.

But at the same time, the Bucs have allowed players like Dean, linebacker Lavonte David and cornerback Carlton Davis III to test free agency to see what their market value actually is. I could see maybe either Evans or Mayfield getting a deal done, but likely not both.

QUESTION: When is the earliest the Bucs can announce an extension for Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans. I feel that it could happen soon.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: The Bucs are free to negotiate with their own free agents right now if they wanted to and get a deal done today, but that’s unlikely to happen. Free agency is chess match, and timing and deadlines are important in terms of strategy and leverage for teams and agents. That’s why most re-signings happen right before free agency begins or deals are announced right at the start.

It’s no coincidence that the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis takes place just before the start of free agency. Teams and agents will often have conversations on the down low to try to gauge market value and parameters for the players in early March before free agency opens. Even though that’s tampering, it still takes place – so much so that the NFL opened a “legal tampering” window on March 11 at noon, two days prior to the start of actual free agency at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13.

As previously stated, the Bucs have recently allowed some of their top free agents to test the market and find their worth. But this year might be different because Baker Mayfield’s interest in returning to Tampa Bay may wane if Mike Evans signs elsewhere and vice versa. There could be a domino effect in play with the Bucs’ two top offensive free agents where it may benefit the team to have either Mayfield or Evans re-sign prior to the start of free agency to increase the chances of the other re-signing with Tampa Bay.

QUESTION: When are we going to complete the hiring of the remaining coaches on the coaching staff on the offensive side of the ball, Scott?

Bucs OL coach Kevin Carberry – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: Just days after the Bucs made Liam Coen their new offensive coordinator, they hired offensive line coach Kevin Carberry, who was the Rams offensive line coach in 2022 when Coen was in L.A. Carberry was an assistant offensive line coach in New Orleans last year. Carberry has been described as a very smart coach and Coen really wanted him on the staff.

Coen made it to Tampa Bay last Tuesday for his first visit to One Buccaneer Place and to hold a press conference. He’ll likely meet with some staff holdovers like tight ends coach John Van Dam, running backs coach Skip Peete and some of the assistants like David Raih and Jeff Kastl to see if he wants them on his coaching staff. Raih and Kastl worked with former wide receivers coach Brad Idzik, and there might be a chance one of them gets elevated to receivers coach under Coen.

Head coach Todd Bowles will allow Coen to remake the offensive coaching staff as he sees fit. So if Coen wants to bring in a new receivers coach, a new tight ends coach or a new running backs coach, he’ll likely allow that to happen. The guess here is that at least Peete stays on. The veteran coach did a great job developing Rachaad White and working with the running backs last year in his first season with Tampa Bay.

QUESTION: Just saw Haason Reddick sought permission for a trade. Is this a realistic player for the Bucs? He and YaYa Diaby could be nightmarish off the edge and would allow us to focus on other needs in the draft. Could we make this happen?

Eagles DT Jalen Carter, OLB Haason Reddick and DE Josh Sweat – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: No, I don’t see the Bucs being interested in the two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher due to his contract demands. The reason why Haason Reddick was allowed to seek a trade out of Philadelphia is because he wants a pay raise. He’s currently making an average of $15 million per year, which ranks 18th among all edge rushers, according to OverTheCap.com.

Reddick has one year left on his deal with the Eagles, but any team that acquires him in a trade will want to extend his contract, as otherwise it’s renting him for just one year by giving up draft capital. That’s just not smart.

And it’s probably not smart to invest $15 million or more into a player who will turn 30 in September. Reddick has four straight years of double-digit sacks, including 11 last year in Philly. But as the Bucs have seen with 31-year old Shaq Barrett, at some point in time, edge rushers lose a step and their production dramatically falls off – usually around age 30.

QUESTION: A cheaper option (than the top guys) that feels like a good fit for Todd Bowles’ scheme is Andrew Van Ginkel. Do you think there will be any interest from the Bucs, assuming he makes it to free agency?

Dolphins OLB Andrew Van Ginkel – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: I could see guys like Miami’s Andrew Van Ginkel and New England’s Josh Uche be cheaper free agent options as edge rushers. With the amount the Bucs will have to shell out for their own free agents like quarterback Baker Mayfield, wide receiver Mike Evans, safety Antoine Winfield Jr., linebacker Lavonte David and kicker Chase McLaughlin, they won’t have a lot to spend on new free agents.

This is not a great draft for edge rushers, but it is a solid group in free agency. Players like Jacksonville’s Josh Allen, Carolina’s Brian Burns, Minnesota’s Danielle Hunter, San Francisco’s Chase Young, New York’s Bryce Huff and Houston’s Jonathan Greenard will likely get the top deals in March. If the Bucs want to sign a veteran free agent outside linebacker, the team will likely wait until the first wave of free agency comes and goes and sign a second-tier player like Uche or Van Ginkel.

Van Ginkel, who was a fifth-round pick by Miami in 2019, had a career-high six sacks and a pick-six in 2023 after re-signing with the Dolphins on a cheap, one-year deal worth $2.65 million. He wants to stay in Miami, but he also wants to make more money. Van Ginkel can rush the passer and drop into coverage, which makes him a good scheme. The Bucs would have to like the fact that the 6-foot-4, 242-pound outside linebacker has 27 career pass breakups, including eight batted balls last year.

QUESTION: If the Bucs brought in a starting center via free agency or the draft, could Robert Hainsey be a significant upgrade at left guard?

Bucs C Robert Hainsey – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: I’m not sure Robert Hainsey would necessarily be a big upgrade at left guard. I think his best NFL fit is at center, but Tampa Bay could use a better, more talented starter in 2024. Hainsey is very cerebral player, and that’s the real value he’s brought to the Bucs as a two-year fill-in for Ryan Jensen.

Hainsey played right tackle at Notre Dame, but doesn’t have the frame and long arms to play outside in the NFL. And he doesn’t have the lower body strength and size to play guard, where they often have to battle defensive tackles one-on-one. At center, Hainsey was able to double-team with guards Cody Mauch and Aaron Stinnie last year and wasn’t often isolated one-on-one with a defensive tackle.

I think the Bucs will either sign a free agent center or guard and then draft the position that is not addressed in free agency. Matt Feiler won’t be back, and there is a chance that the Bucs will move on from Stinnie, too. Hainsey will be given a chance to battle for a starting job at center or guard this season, which is his contract year, but he won’t be handed a starting role.

QUESTION: Scott, do you think Van Jefferson will be the receiver the Bucs will look into to replace David Moore once the Bucs sign back their top free agents? Jefferson was drafted during Liam Coen’s time on the coaching staff in L.A. in 2020.

Former Rams WR Van Jefferson – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: There is a chance that David Moore could return to Tampa Bay if he doesn’t follow Dave Canales and Brad Idzik to Carolina. Moore came up big down the stretch with huge, catch-and-run touchdowns at Green Bay and against Philadelphia in the playoffs. He’s still a good scheme fit in Liam Coen’s new offense, which is similar to what Canales ran last year.

Van Jefferson starred at Florida and was a second-round pick by the Rams in 2020, as you mentioned. After catching 19 passes for 220 yards (11.6 avg.) and one touchdown as a rookie, he had a breakout season in 2021 with 50 catches for 802 yards (16 avg.) and six touchdowns. But that was the season when Coen was at Kentucky.

When Coen returned to L.A. in 2022, Jefferson hauled in 24 passes for 369 yards (15.4 avg.) and three TDs. His production has dropped off over the last two seasons, including last year in Atlanta where he only caught 12 passes for 101 yards (8.4 avg.) in 12 games.

The 6-foot-1, 200 pounder has been more of a possession receiver in the NFL, and Moore’s speed and YAC (yards after catch) ability might be more enticing to Tampa Bay. I’m not sure if the Bucs will be interested in Jefferson, although he will likely be a cheap option at receiver after signing a one-year deal worth $1,375,156 last season with the Falcons.